The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1887-03-09
urch militant, church Triumphant
To His command we bow.
Part of the host have crossed the flood,
And part are crossing now.

And part are crossing now.
Again, my friends, this is an absorbing
scene, because it arouses SO many precious
memories. We look back and remember the
DAYS of our childhood when, long before we
knew the meaning of the bread and the wine,
we sat in the side pews on sacramental days,
or in the galleries, and looked as our fathers,
mothers and older brothers and sisters sat at
the communion. Or, if we sat with them, we
pulled at mothers dress and said:
''What does that meant What is that in
the cupa What is that on the platter o,
yes; we remember those sacramental days of
our boyhood. We remember how much
more tender father was on that day than on
any other day. We remember how mother
stood, and without saying one word looked
at us, and her eyes got full of tears. Oh, the
dear old soull They have gone! But until
the day of our death we will associate this
holy ordinance with their memory. And
when our work on earth Is done we will just
90 up and sit down beside them ia -
heavenly church, as we used to sit beside
them in the earthly church, and then we win
drink new wine in our fathers kingdom.
Behold the saints, beloved of God.
Washed are their robes in Jesus blood;
Brighter than angels, lol they shine,
Their glories splendid and sublime.
1 remark again: This scene is tender to-day
because it is a confessional. You and / re-
member tho time when if a man had charged
us with anything like imperfection or wrong
doing, we would have thrown ourselves back
on our honor ard said: "You don't know
who you are talking to. shall resent such an
insult to my honor and integrity" Wedo not
feel that way to-day. As we gaze upon the sac
rifice of Christ and think of what we have been
and what we have done, our hearts melt
within US. We see one dying accursed for
our sin, and we hear him in his dying words
begging for our service, and yet how little
service we have rendered. OF this short life
we have begrudged God even a fragment.
Alasl alas Some of US have lived out the
most of our days, and yet we have rendered
to God no earnest service. Sad, that we could
have so maltreated him on whom all our
hopes depend. Oh, my brethren and sisters
in Christ, to-day join hands with me in
a confession before Christi If there be
any place more humble than another, let us
take it, If there be any prayer more i'm
Fortunate than another, let us breathe it. II
there be any confession more bitter than en-
other, let us now weep it out.
Well might the sun in darkness hide
And shut his glories in,
When Christ, the mighty Maker died
For man, the creatures sin.
Once more: This is tender and absorb
ing scene because it is anticipative. My
brethren we are not always going to stay
here. This is not our home This is only the
vestihule of the church in which, at last, we
expect to enter. After awhile our names will
be taken off the church books, or there will
be mark in the margin to indicate that we
have gone up to better church and TO q
higher communion. Our father is not going
to let his children remain in the dust. The
| grave is no place for us to stay IN. 1.-THE
trumpet shall sound and the dead
shall rise" The Lord shall descend
| from heaven with a shout and the
voice of the archangel and we shall rise.
The white robe in which they put us to our
last sluinber here must get winter. Oh, the
reunion OF patriarchs, and apostles, and
prophets and of all our glorifed kindred
and of that great multitude that no man can
nunber" Our sorrows over; our journey
ended 1t will be as when kings banquet
| And, just as the snow of winter melts and
the fields viii brighten in the glorious spring
| time, so it will be with all these cold sorrows
| OF earth; they shall be melted away at last
before the warm sunshine of heaven.
While / present these thoughts this morn
ing does It not seem that heaven comes very
near to us, as though our friends, whom we
thought great way off, are not in the dis
lance, but close byl You have sometimes
come down TO river at nightfall. and you
have been surprised how easily you
could hear voices across that river.
You shouted over to the other side
Of the river and they shouted back.
It is said that when George Whitefeld
preached in Third street, Philadelphia, one
evening time, his voice was heard clear across
to the New Jersey shore When I was lit
tie while chaplain in the army remember
how at eventide we could easily hear the
voices Of the pickets across the Potomac, just
when they were using ordinary tones And
as we come to-day and stand by the river OF
Jordan that divides us from our friends who
are gone, 1t seems 10 me we stand ON one
bank and they stand on the other; and it il
only narrow stream, and our voices go
and their voices come Harki Hush hear
distinctly what they say: these are they
who come out OF great tIibulations, and had
their robes washed and made white in the
blood of the Lamb Still the voice comes
across the waters, and hear: we hunger
no more, we thirst no more, neither shall the
sun light ON us. nor any heat, for the Lamb
which is in the midst of the throne leads us to
living fountains of water, and God wipeth
away all tears from our eyes,